READY OR NOT, HERE I COME

December 3, 2004

Revelation 22: 7

INTRODUCTION:

   1. Christmas is so near even just around the corner! Amen?

    2.  Hold up the appropriate number of fingers to your partner.

    3.  Christmas is so near; on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the most & 1 being the
          least.

    4.  How many of you are prepared for Christmas?

    5.  Now lets check your energy level about Christmas.

    6.  On the scale of 1-10;  with 1- being total exhausted  & 10 being energized;
         where are you?

    7.  If Santa were to rate you on a scale of 1-10.

    8.  1 being rotten & 10 being a little angel.

    9.  What would be your rating?

    10. Now! How many times have you said, “Merry Christmas to your family
          lately?

IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO LIVE IN AMERICA AND NOT KNOW IT’S CHRISTMAS TIME:

ALL THE CLUES OUR GIVEN OUT:

   1.  Christmas is near.

    2.  The houses are decked with twinkling lights.

    3.  The stores are full to say to us; Don’t miss out on Christmas.

    4.  Don’t get caught without the right gifts.

    5.  Be prepared! Christmas is coming!

WHEN WE COMPARE THE NOW TO THE FIRST CHRISTMAS 2000 YEARS AGO:

    1.  Do you think it was anything like the modern day?

     2.  Who do you think would have been prepared, as we seem to do today?

     3.  There were no store lights twinkling & neither on the homes that night.

     4.  And neither did the churches offer their Christmas musicals as entertainment.

EVERYTHING WAS AS USUAL IN BETHLEHEM THAT NIGHT:

    1.  One young couple came into town on business to fill out the proper tax
          documents.

     2.  And Jesus came that night; born of a Virgin and laid in a manger.

     3.  But who really knew that Jesus was born; had come to earth?

     4.  Who knew?

     5.  The angels woke up some shepherds to tell them.

     6.  Some wise men were intrigued by a strange star & followed it.

NOW HERE IT COMES:

     1.  Apart from the few that did know that He’d come that night.

     2.  No one seemed to notice that first Christmas.

     3.  They’d been waiting for Him; few noticed His arrival.

     4.  The First Christmas might have been an easy miss;

     5.  But this one won’t; we have all the clues that Christmas is coming soon.

BUT I HAVE A QUESTION HERE:

     1.  Have we done more to celebrate a past event such as Christmas?

     2.  Have we done more to prepare for Christmas than we’ve done for His future
          coming?

     3.  Do we pay more attention to; and observe his first coming than we do His
          second coming?

IT JUST MIGHT BE THAT WE KNOW HOW TO PREPARE FOR CHRISTMAS;

    1.  But we might not know so well; how to prepare for His second coming.

     2.  We know that on December the 25^th Christmas is coming.

     3.  K-Mart has announced they will be open for 36 consecutive hours just so
          you’ll be ready.

     4.  We know that  Christmas is coming soon!

JESUS HAS TAUGHT US ALL TO:

Be ye also ready for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh.

    1.  It could be at any moment now!

     2.  And just like Christmas; ready or not It’s coming; He coming again.

     3.  And He’s coming just as He said He would.

     4.  Peter said; “You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the
          day of God and speed its coming” 2^nd. Pet. 3:11-12

HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT AS CHRISTMAS NEARS:

     1.  We tell our children they are to be on their best behavior and they do pretty
          much?

WE SHOULD BE MOTIVATED TO LIVE GODLY LIVES:

     1.  “So ought we to live holy and godly lives”.

     2.  Don’t get too attached to this world.

     3.  It’s not our home; we’re just a passing through.

     4.  We’re aliens and strangers here! Amen?

     5.  We’re the ones described as a people whose citizenship is found in Heaven.

     6.  That is to say anything we’d not like to be found doing when He comes back!

     7.  For God’s sake; “STOP IT”! Amen?

THEN HASTENING THE DAY THAT HE SHOULD COME;

WE SHOULD ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER:

     1.  Jesus is the reason for the season! Amen?

     2.  And we should encourage one another:

     3.  Merry Christmas; Hope you have a good one.

     4.  Remind each other; Jesus is coming soon!

     5.  Jesus is coming soon; hang in there.

     6.  Keep up the good work; He’s coming soon!

BELOVED; WHILE IN THE MIDST OF THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE:

    1.  And just as we look back at His birth;

     2.  Let’s keep vividly in mind that He’s coming again.

     3.  And fight the good fight of faith;

     4.  “I charge thee to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing
          of our Lord Jesus Christ.

BELOVED; JESUS COMING AGAIN IS WORTH THE PREPARATION FOR IT:

     1.  O’ I know there’s still a DEVIL out there!

     2.  And just as we’re tempted to procrastinate at Christmas time.

     3.  Well be tempted to forget about His coming again,

     4.  You’ll be tempted to take your eyes off Jesus.

     5.  Tempted to compromise a little here and a little there.

     6.  It’s been a long time waiting for Him & He hasn’t come yet.

     7.  Maybe He won’t come soon.

BUT REMEMBER HE SAID, “I COME QUICKLY”

(TO THE TONE OF "TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS" POEM:)

Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house
Not a creature was praying, not one in the house
Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care
In hopes that Jesus would not come there.

The children were dressing to crawl into bed
Not once were kneeling or bowing a head
And Mom in her rocker with baby on her lap
Was watching the late show while I took a nap.

When out of the East there arose such a clatter
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter
Away to the window I flew like a flash
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!

When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here
With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray
I knew in a moment this must be The Day!

The light of His face made me cover my head
It was Jesus! Returning just like He had said
And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.

In the Book of Life which He held in His hand
Was written the name of every saved man.
He spoke not a word as He searched for my name;
When He said, “It’s not here” my head hung in shame

The people whose names had been written with love
He gathered to take to His Father above.
With those who were ready He rose without a sound
While all the rest were left standing around

I fell to my knees, but it was too late;
I had waited too long and this sealed my fate.
I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight;
Oh, if only I had been ready tonight.

In the words of this poem the meaning is clear;
The coming of Jesus is drawing near.
There’s only one life and when comes the last call
We’ll find that the Bible was true after all!

BELOVED;

     1.  It’s never too early to start getting ready for Christmas.

     2.  And it’s never too early to get ready for His second coming.

     3.  Ready or not; He’s coming soon!

REMEMBER; HE SAID OVER 2000 YEARS AGO: